Dean Foods announced that it will be closing its Meadow Gold dairy plant in Lincoln, Neb., causing about 100 people to lose their jobs. The plant produces milk and other dairy goods, bottled water and juices. Another 70 people working in sales and distribution will continue to work in Lincoln. Dean Foods spokeswoman Marguerite Copel said the plant would close … Read More
AP reports dairy plans to engineer “cow of the future”
The Associated Press released an article reporting the U.S. dairy industry plans to engineer the “cow of the future.” This “ideal” cow would pass less gas as part of its project aimed at cutting the industry’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25 percent by 2020. The article lists several other GHG emission projects that will be explored including turning digester-generated … Read More
Elanco Purchases Posilac From Monsanto
Here’s an interesting announcement. Elanco has signed an agreement to buy the worldwide rights to Posilac from Monsanto. The deal includes the product’s supporting operations. I hope they have good luck with it. There sure are a lot of activists against it. I don’t think they’ve got any scientific basis for their fears but sometimes perception is reality. I sure … Read More
Beef Quality Assurance Awards Announced
The first ever winners of the BQA Award were announced today and one of them is a dairy producer. Quality. It’s not only a word written in an instruction manual but a responsible action – one must live it and then teach it. That was the underlying theme this week as two producers were honored with the national Beef Quality … Read More
S.D. Cheese Plant Renovation to be Completed
Davisco Foods, headquartered in Le Sueur, Minn. has announced that a multi-phase, $8.22 million improvement project to the Lake Norden Cheese Co., S.D. is on track to complete in May 2008. When completed, Lake Norden will increase its whey processing capacity by 60 percent. The company is adding a new whey pasteurizer, additions to its whey processing infrastructure and upgrades … Read More
Winn Dixie to Sell Two Plants
Winn-Dixie Stores said it has agreed to sell its two dairy plants, located in Hammond, La., and Plant City, to Southeast Milk. Winn-Dixie said in a release that it is choosing to focus more on its retail operation. Once this sale is complete, its only remaining manufacturing operation will be the Chek Cola plant in Fitzgerald, Ga. During the transition, … Read More
Helping Keep Technology Alternatives on the Farm
At this year’s World Ag Expo Dairyline’s Bill Baker interviewed Liz Dornick and Carol Campbell, dairy producers who were at one of the Dairy Profit Seminars. They talked about AFACT, American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology. Liz is in Wisconsin and Carol is from Kansas. They’re both frustrated with the misinformation that consumers find on labels and … Read More
Outstanding Dairy Industry Edcucator/Researcher
One of the awards given by Western Dairy Business Magazine at World Ag Expo is the Outstanding Dairy Industry Edcucator/Researcher. This year that honor was presented to Dr. John Smith, Kansas State University. Dr. Smith was interviewed by Dairyline’s Bill Baker. He’s humbled by the award. He’s one of the presenters at the Dairy Profit Seminars that were held at … Read More
Ohio Department of Agriculture Issues Emergency Rule on Dairy Labeling
The Ohio Department of Agriculture has issued an Emergency Rule with the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) that regulates on dairy labeling regarding recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), a supplement used for milk production. The issue of rBST labeling has become one of the hottest issues in Ohio agriculture, and Director of Agriculture Bob Boggs has taken the point … Read More
Idaho Closes in on No. 3 Spot
Idaho is closing in on New York’s No. 3 spot in U.S. milk production, coming within 4 million pounds of out-producing the Empire State in September. In September, Idaho produced 979 million pounds of milk while New York produced 983 million pounds. That’s an astounding achievement, he added, considering that 10 years ago, Idaho was No. 9. In 1998, it … Read More